WAY belated shoes of the week

Okay, I know that Thursday is unacceptable for a post that I usually do on Sundays. Do you forgive me? On Sunday, I was in tears because half of my friends graduated, and will now be leaving me in favor of the world-at-large.

So, to make it up to you, I offer you several shoes of the week. And, just for the fun of it, they're all leather-free and guilt-free. 'Cause, y'know, cows need their skin. And without further ado:

I've wanted a pair of plaid shoes since middle school. I have no idea why I've waited so long to get them. Get your fix here.

I like mini-wedges so much. They're as comfortable as flats, but they can look a little more formal, too. I also like all forms of grey. Maybe not in huge quantities in the summer, but you need something to offset your bright green dress, right?

Have these, love these. Here.

Shoes of the week

Because I never did the punk thing in my adolescence.

These would be a lovely way to play with that silliness now.

Oh, and I'm rather sick, so send good vibes my way, please. Happy Sunday!

Belated Shoes of the Week

Should have gotten this out yesterday. Oops. Actually, I should have gotten a lot of things done yesterday. Stupid boys. Anyway, this week's shoes of the week are:

Slippers. Because I am so. Damn. Tired.

Shoes of the week

I know this is a fashion blog (trust me--I started it), but it's also about fashion as it relates to my life. Which is why this week's shoes of the week are

Grishko 2007 pointe shoes. They're a bitch to break in (if you get the medium shanks), but I've never danced in anything more flattering.

You won't find a better price than this.

Yet another reason that I'm moving to England (eventually)

I do adore shoes. I've never considered myself specifically a shoe person, but other people certainly do--my freshman year roomate forbade me from buying any more shoes sometime in March of our freshman year (and I don't blame her--they were taking over the room), a good friend of mine once christened me "Imelda," and one day in rehearsal, when our director mentioned a former student who had 200+ pairs of shoes, amidst shocked cries of "excess!" and the like, one voice rang out, "How many pairs of shoes do you have again, [Principessa]?" Ouch.

So, I've tried to cut back on the shoes. It hasn't been too difficult. Were I back in London, however, I might be having worse problems. Topshop, Office, and Faith were all frequent indulgences for me, and now, I'm regretting having missed Terra Plana. Terra Plana is a sustainable, innovative shoe company that tries to be ethical in all levels of production, and uses completely earth-friendly materials in its production (think recycled material, chemical-free, etc.) Furthermore, their shoes are awesome. The pictured pump reminds me of Marc Jacobs petal-heel shoes, but more creative (sorry, Marc!). The flat makes me think that I just might need another pair of black flats. Plus, it's just awesome that, through buying shoes, you can help save the planet.

But then, the fact that they don't seem to be available stateside is saving my wallet.

Shoes of the week

Polo season is over. Goodbye, riding boots! I actually don't own a real pair of polo boots like the ones pictured, but I'd love some. Goodbye, Nala, Diamond, Claire, and Gameboy! See you next season!

Shoes of the week

Fierce. Strong. Rugged. Bold. And yet, still lovely and pretty enough to be the shoes of the week.

I have a total crush on Chie Mihara.

Shoes of the week

Don't you love it when you have one piece that absolutely makes an outfit? Something that can be worn with a little black dress or jeans and a white tank and make both outfits look absolutely complete? That, my friends, describes these Goldenbleu boots. I don't care that it's not boot season. I want them now.

Excuses, excuses. . .

Score! I got one of my top choice apprenticeships for this summer. I reiterate: Yessssss! It's the perfect excuse to spoil myself with something pretty to celebrate. I'm dying for a new pair of dress shoes. Of course, apprentices don't get paid, so I probably shouldn't. . . but when have I ever claimed to be sensible? Here are my picks:

This Frye pair is my absolute favorite. They could go pretty formal with a nice, neutral skirt and ivory (not white!) fishnets, but they'd be just as good to wear with skinny jeans and an old, slouchy sweater. Want! I really want to buy them, but as they're a bit pricey, I have some other options as well.

I love Dolce Vita's shoes, especially their wedges. This pair would work with a lot of outfits.

I'm dying for a pair of nude heels. I obviously can't afford the Yves Saint Laurent ones, so I've been looking for a substitute. Surprisingly, the perfect pair come from Nine West.

Finally, the cheapest pick of the bunch comes from Urban Outfitters. The vintagey t-strap is fucking adorable, and the heel is sculpted, but totally low enough to be walkable. Plus, if I got this pair, I could get the top that I missed out on the first time around. . .

Decisions, decisions!

Shoes of the week

I'm trying to pare down my wardrobe, really I am. I know that I don't need 30 pairs of pants, 20 sweaters, 12 coats, 15 skirts, and some 200-odd tops. I'm working on it. I'm sending a lot to charity, I promise. However, I'm finding it extremely tough to scale back on shoes when life keeps dangling delectable pairs like these little Loeffler Randall lovelies in front of my nose. Incredible texture, innovative use of material (cork!) beautifully versatile color, perfect amount of sparkle. . . I need to get a job.

Shoes of the week

A Haiku:

Oh shoes of the week!
Golden suede, walkable heel,
I'll wait for a sale.

But those of you who don't want to wait can get 'em here.

Shoes of the week

Just because I absolutely adore them:

But them (for me!) here. That's a size 8. . .

My Miu Miu review

I know that I haven't been awesome at covering the Paris shows (but at least I got John Galliano and Sonia Rykiel), but it's still on my to-do list. Part of the reason that I've been putting it off is that I'm so excited by Chloe that I need time to figure out the best way to express my glee, and that unfortunately, I'm just not that excited by Miu Miu. I did like all the pretty dresses at the end quite a bit--see below--but most of the collection didn't excite me as much as past collections have. It was all a bit plain and monotone:


But at least the shoes were awesome:

Shoes of the week

Because spring is coming. Soon. Well, I hope it's coming soon. Anyhow, you could always be funky and wear them with thick socks until it's warm enough.

And you can buy them here if you're eager.

Shoes of the week

I'm in New York, so I need something I can walk in. These meet my three C's for NYC shoes: cute, comfy, and cheap.

Find 'em here.

Cute shoes that are comfortable??? BLASPHEMY!

Wednesdays are the worst day. The week is already in full swing, but the end is not yet in sight. You have all your work laid out in front of you, but you've yet to make a dent in it. To top it all off, you're sleep-deprived, the weather is awful, your thesis proposal is due damn soon, you've stabbed yourself in the eye with your mascara wand, and, to top it all off, you've just remembered that you left your wine glasses in a friend's room--on Saturday night. You promised to pick them up Sunday. But they're still there. And it's Wednesday.

Or, at least, that's my Wednesday, and, in suit, it's a tough one. So, what could make it better? Why, shoes, of course! But, given the crappycrappycrappy weather, let's look at sensible shoes, shall we? Oh, quit your whining. I promise it'll be fun.

Now, the gold standard for sensible shoes is Dr. Scholl's, though I'm not entirely sure how comfortable their shoe insert products are. Still, I have a pair of their famous buckle sandals--mine are flat slides, and they were pretty freakin' expensive for so little shoe, but they've lasted two years and they are comfortable, so I shouldn't complain. Perusing Dr. Scholl's at Zappos, we have a Chloe knock-off and a Marc Jacobs knock-off:

And it's a no. I'm all for knock-offs, especially comfortable ones, but these ones are, well, ugly. These next ones aren't exactly cute, but I'm attracted to their strangeness, and especially if they're comfortable, I would totally wear them.

Their collection at Zappos is full of iterations of the buckle slide, some ugly heels, other mediocre knock-offs, a few cute flats, a cute pair of granny boots, and a few real gems. Nothing, however, topped this:

Overall, I'd say it's worth wading through the ugly (some of which is quite appealing, like the strange boots I pictured, and also a pair of sort of. . . I dunno. . . combat maryjanes, if you will) to find the few real treats. I'd love the above boots and t-straps. Especially the boots, given the weather. Still, I admit the Dr. Scholl's is a bit of a pedestrian choice, so let's move on to the big guns: Nike for Cole Haan. Now, this isn't a line of couture sneakers. Apparently, Nike has taken their foot-friendly sneaker technology and put it all in cute little heels, boots, and wedges. Sounds good to me. I have a friend who has a pair of their boots and adores them. They all have a little bit of a platform below the ball of the foot, which I think is where the "Nike Air Technology" goes, and they all look pretty damn good:

Especially the two pictured above. Damn. Sexy. Still, the brand that I'm finding most intriguing is probably Devotte. I do remember reading somewhere (helpful, I know) that they're quite comfortable, and while I'm not sure why they're hailed as particularly comfortable on a technical level, but if you look:

That's a low wedge and a sensible heel--hardly something that could twist your ankle or make you sore. And they're lovely, simple, and vintage-y, without being stale and boring. And you can get them at my favorite internet boutique, Active Endeavors.

Shoes of the week

If these go any further on sale. . .

they're MINE!

Don't get them here.

Shoes of the week

I'll fantasize about wearing them until the snow melts. . .


Get them here, if you have a chunk of change to spare.

Tom's shoes

You've probably heard about Toms. You've probably read about Toms. You've probably seen Toms in every fashion magazine and blog that you've checked out this month. But, just in case some of you haven't, I'm going to fill you in anyway. Toms are very simple shoes that come in awesome colors and patterns and, as far as I can tell, look good with just about anything.

But you can tell all this from the pictures. What you might not be able to tell is that for every pair you buy, the creator donates a pair to a child in need. No strings attached. This isn't one of those "charity" shopping events where the retailer is the really benefitted party. This isn't one of those BUY TO SUPPORT AN IMPORTANT CAUSE deals where it say in the fine print that 3% of proceeds from one particular item will go to some charity. This is a really, honestly good deal, where someone else benefits from the purchase as much as the purchaser does.

So go buy some! I like the stripes, myself.

They remind me of the frosting on a cupcake!

Bianca flat by Loeffler Randall--get it at Active Endeavors.

Can you tell that it's lunchtime?